Simulation shows how cosmonaut fell from space after making chilling final transmission before death
A simulation shows exactly what happened when a Russian cosmonaut fell to his death from space, making a chilling final transmission moments before he died.
Colonel Vladimir Komarov was the only USSR citizen to have undertaken two space flights at the time of his death, after tumbling back to planet Earth as a result of a catastrophic incident on his descent to the planet.
A hero back in Russia and known worldwide for his contributions to space exploration, Komarov's life was cut short back in April 1967 during the fatal incident.
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The 40-year-old had been onboard the Soyuz 1 spaceflight during the peak of the space race between Soviet Russia and the United States of America when tragedy struck.
Piloting Soyuz 1 in its first test flight, Komarov encountered huge technical issues that ultimately were the reason behind his death.
Komarov had been aware of issues with the spacecraft before the flight, as engineers who had worked on making it ready for take off has raised concerns. But these were swept under the rug, historians have since concluded, due to 'political pressures' during the space race.
As a result of such pressures and the secretive nature of Soviet Russia political history, exact details about what happened aren't completely clear.
But Komarov did die, the Soviets confirmed, following the incident on 23 April, 1967.
The mission saw Komarov spend more than 24 hours orbiting the Earth, during which he went around the planet 16 times.
Solar panels on the outside of the spacecraft kept Soyuz 1 with power. But with one of them failing, Soviet bosses told Komarov to bring the spacecraft back down to Earth.
Komarov went around the planet twice in an attempt to re-enter the atmosphere and complete his mission. But the third and final attempt was anything but lucky.
With Soyuz 1 reaching an altitude of 23,000 feet (7,010 metres) when it made its descent to Earth, the parachute helping with re-entry failed to deploy as the lines had got tangled up.
Komarov's fate was sealed; something he was well aware of.
US listening posts spying on the Soviet project overheard Komarov discussing issues with high-ranking USSR official Alexei Kosygin.
According to the controversial 2011 history book Starman, Komarov yelled as the spacecraft began crashing down: "This devil ship! Nothing I lay my hands on works properly."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the official Soviet transcript of Komarov’s final moments from the Russian State Archive tell a somewhat different tale.
He apparently told his colleagues: "I feel excellent, everything’s in order."
Just a few moments later he reportedly said: "Thank you for transmitting all of that. [Separation] occurred."
The below video shows exactly what happened to Soyuz 1, with the spacecraft's drag parachute and back up parachute becoming a tangled mess during the descent:
It meant that Soyuz 1 hit the Earth's surface at a staggering 90 miles per hour, with Komarov instantly killed as the spacecraft turned in to a burning inferno.
A NASA report on what happened reads: "The drag parachute deployed to slow the spacecraft enough for the main parachute to open without shredding; however, the main parachute was jammed inside its container. Sensors detected Soyuz-1’s increased velocity and activated the backup system.
"The backup system was programmed to eject both the drag and main parachutes before deploying the backup parachute; however, since the main parachute was stuck in its container, the primary apparatus remained attached to the spaceship. The drag chute remained flapping above the craft, and when the system deployed the backup parachute, the drag chute prevented it from unfurling."
Following the death of his friend Komarov, fellow Soviet hero Yuri Gagarin was banned by the USSR from taking part in any future spaceflights to avoid another high-profile casualty.
Topics: Space, World News, Technology, Russia
Tom Earnshaw